Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov.

31 May 2016

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process today welcomed statements by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on the Arab Peace Initiative.

“This can help advance negotiations on achieving a two-state solution,” said Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.

“It follows the call by the President of Egypt to Israelis and Palestinians to continue the historic step toward peace taken by Israel and Egypt 37 years ago,” he added.

On Monday, media outlets reported that Mr. Netanyahu, in response to a speech this past week by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, had said that the Arab Peace Initiative includes “positive elements that can help revive constructive negotiations with the Palestinians.”

Mr. Mladenov noted that the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East peace process has repeatedly emphasized the significance and importance of the Arab Peace Initiative “with its vision for a comprehensive settlement of the conflict and as an opportunity for building a regional security framework.”

“This opportunity should not be missed and must be followed up with concrete and timely action,” he stressed.

The Arab Peace Initiative was adopted at the Arab League’s 2002 Summit.

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